TRENTON, NJ – Let’s get this right. New Jersey Democrats hold a commanding majority in the state senate and the state legislature. They are also in control of the Governor’s office through Governor Phil Murphy. They also control the BPU and other state regulatory agencies.
But, it’s the Repbulicans’ fault that every New Jerseyan is about to be slapped with the biggest energy rate increase of their lifetime?
What?
Democrats just fired off a scathing memorandum from the New Jersey General Assembly Majority Office which has ignited a firestorm of debate over the state’s skyrocketing utility rates, with Assembly Democrats pointing fingers at energy suppliers, Republicans, and the regional energy operator PJM, while facing criticism themselves for enabling the crisis.
The memo prepared Democrat lawmakers with talking points on how to blame the whole thing on the Republican Party and yes, even the evil man himself, President Donald J. Trump.
The memo, dated February 27, and authored by Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin and Executive Director Seth Hahn, both Democrats, was addressed to the Assembly Democratic Caucus and outlined “message points” on the utility cost crisis. It warned that utility rates are set to rise by as much as 20% this summer, a burden that could hit New Jersey residents hard, particularly middle-class families already struggling with inflation. The Democrats accused energy suppliers of failing to meet demand while prioritizing profits, and they criticized the Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) for its inability to rein in these companies.
“Utility companies have been all too happy to rack up profits at the expense of New Jersey ratepayers,” the memo stated. “The Board of Public Utilities has failed to protect the pocketbooks of middle-class families.”
Remember what we said earlier, Democrats appoint members to the BPU, not Republicans. In fact, it is Governor Phil Murphy who personally makes those appointments.
The Assembly Democrats pledged to keep all options on the table, push for transparency in rate-setting, demand protections to keep rates low, and hold utility companies accountable. They also highlighted their “all of the above” approach to energy production, emphasizing efforts to boost solar, wind, nuclear, and energy storage in New Jersey.
According to the memo, Democrats are making all the right moves, but it’s those pesky Republicans and shore folks getting in the way. You know, the ones who don’t want 4,000 skyscraper height wind turbines just off the coast of New Jersey.
“We have led the nation in efforts to create clean energy, which would make New Jersey energy independent while creating thousands of good-paying, middle-class jobs here at home,” the memo claimed.
However, the memo also took aim at Republicans, accusing them of opposing clean energy initiatives and being beholden to out-of-state corporate oil and gas interests.
“Republicans have opposed efforts to create wind, electric, nuclear, and solar energy, and the new Administration in Washington has destroyed nearly a decade of work to produce wind energy off the Jersey shore,” it stated.
A significant portion of the Democrats’ ire was directed at PJM, the regional transmission organization that operates the electric grid serving 13 states, including New Jersey.
The memo accused PJM of prioritizing dirty power plants over clean energy, leading to energy shortages and higher costs for ratepayers.
“PJM has massive conflicts of interest with dirty, out-of-state energy producers and transmission operators,” the memo charged. “They make decisions away from public scrutiny to benefit these companies at the expense of New Jersey ratepayers.”
The memo’s release comes amid growing public frustration over utility costs, and it has drawn sharp criticism from Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew.
In a post on X, Van Drew accused the Democrat-controlled legislature of enabling the crisis by failing to act while utility companies ran rampant.
“It’s easy for them to point fingers, but the reality is, this Democrat-controlled legislature enabled the problem,” Van Drew wrote. “They sat by while the Governor and NJBPU did nothing to rein in these out-of-control utility companies. It’s time for them to act before this crisis can get any worse.”
Van Drew’s comments echo a broader Republican critique that Democrats have been too focused on clean energy initiatives at the expense of ensuring reliable, affordable energy for residents. Republicans argue that the push for renewables has led to an over-reliance on PJM and out-of-state energy sources, leaving New Jersey vulnerable to price hikes and shortages.
The Assembly Democrats, however, countered that the root of the problem lies in a lack of energy production to meet demand—a problem they claim Republicans have exacerbated by opposing clean energy projects. They also emphasized their commitment to energy independence for New Jersey, arguing that producing more energy locally, through a mix of solar, wind, nuclear, and storage, would create jobs and lower costs for residents.
But wait there’s more. Democrats say there is not enough energy to meet demand, yet they are pushing for things like electric vehicles, electric stoves, electric heat, electric appliances, electric lawnmowers, electric leaf blowers, and electric hot water heaters.
The debate over utility costs is likely to intensify as the summer approaches, with both parties jockeying to position themselves as the solution to the crisis.
For now, New Jersey residents are left bracing for higher bills, while lawmakers grapple with how to balance energy production, affordability, and environmental goals in a state increasingly caught in the crosshairs of the national energy debate.